Fire aboard grows faster than ashore, with fewer ways out. Renewing the fire and safety system is not swapping equipment item by item; it is thinking about detection, extinguishing, shut-off and escape together.
Four rings
- Detection
- Smoke detectors in living areas, carbon monoxide detectors in sleeping areas, a heat detector in the engine room where appropriate.
- Extinguishing
- Portable extinguishers near every exit, in service date; a fixed engine room system that can be discharged from outside; a fire blanket in the galley.
- Shut-off
- Fuel shut-off and ventilation closure from outside the engine room. Engines must stop and ventilation close before a fixed system discharges.
- Escape
- At least one way out of every cabin, openable hatches and clear passage.
Points to watch in a renewal
- Extinguisher type must suit the fire class: fuel, electrical and solid materials.
- Fixed system capacity is chosen for the engine room volume.
- Service dates and pressure gauges are recorded.
- Materials near the gas system, switchboard and galley are reviewed for fire load.
Checks and acceptance
- Inventory. All extinguishers, detectors and the fixed system marked on a plan.
- Tests. Detectors by their test buttons; fuel shut-off and ventilation closure by hand.
- Records. Service labels and the fixed system's service record.
Where fires start aboard
Most fires aboard start from a few sources: electrical connections and overloaded cables, fuel or oil dripping onto hot surfaces in the engine room, gas and cooking in the galley, and heat during battery charging. When the fire system is renewed, reducing these sources is addressed as much as the extinguishing equipment. The state of the wiring and fuel lines is an inseparable part of fire safety.
Where extinguishers go
Extinguishers are placed near where fire may start but where they can be reached when it does: by the galley exit, at the engine room entrance, at the doors of sleeping areas and in the cockpit. An extinguisher that can only be reached through the burning compartment is the commonest placement mistake. Each extinguisher's type, service date and pressure gauge are checked regularly.
The engine room
A fixed system in the engine room is designed to put out fire with the compartment closed. When it discharges, engines and ventilation fans must stop, or the extinguishing gas is blown out. That the shutdown works, and how the system is triggered by hand, are things everyone aboard should know.
The gas system
On boats using bottled gas, a gas locker draining overboard, hoses within their service date and a gas detector are the basic measures. Closing the bottle valve after use is a simple, effective habit.
A drill
A short fire drill at the start of the season teaches crew and guests where extinguishers and escape routes are. On a boat with guests changing often, a brief safety talk at each boarding does the same job.
Fire safety on survey
On survey, each extinguisher's type, service date and pressure are noted; the fixed system's service label and connections are inspected. In the gas system, leak test, locker drain and hose dates are checked; in the electrics, connections that raise fire risk are sought with the thermal camera. Shortfalls are graded as safety findings.
Extinguishers are renewed when their service date passes, even if the gauge reads green. Keeping all their dates on one list makes sure none is missed.